Tiers flow over new structure

TYRONE secretary Dominic Mccaughey has called for a tiered system in Championship football, while questioning the new Super 8 format.

With five tiers in county hurling from the Liam Maccarthy to Lory Meagher Cups, Mccaughey feels that there is at least another layer needed below the Sam Maguire Cup in football.

Mccaughey made the comments in his report to the county convention to be held on December 12.

He wrote: “The only way in which there can be an increase in the number of high-quality inter-county football Championship games is by introducing grading, as is done for clubs in every county, and as is done in inter-county adult hurling.

“The Association should introduce at least two grades of football Championship in which county teams would be competing against those of similar standards; this system works perfectly in the four divisions of the National Leagues where well-matched teams achieve appropriate results.

“In the hurling Championship each county is accommodated at a level where it can aspire to success, whether it be attempting to win the Lory Meagher Cup or the Liam Maccarthy Cup.

“If this system is successful in hurling why can it not be contemplated for football; it could readily be established and could co-exist with a provincial Championship.”

Meanwhile, Mccaughey claimed that changing the All-ireland SFC quarterfinals to two round robin groups of four is “contrary to the objective of shortening the inter-county season” and has called for the structure to be reviewed after each of the next three years for which it is piloted.

He added: “There is a greater chance that there will be nothing at stake in the final games within each group. It will be vitally important that the situation is monitored thoroughly at the end of each year.”